Manville Arts Council's First "Mural on Main"

On September 7th, the Manville Arts Council installed Manville’s first mural on the wall outside the entrance to the Manville Branch of the Somerset County Library System. The design pays homage to the many different ways this library serves the community. Artists Heather Ball, Amy Ohlson, and Sharon Onderko, brought this detailed mural to life over the course of the last year along with help of many local volunteers.

Mural design concept was created by the MAC's President, Heather Ball and the art layout was designed by Media and Technology officer, Sharon Onderko.

When asked what the mural is trying to convey Ball says, “The Library Mural endeavors to motivate the residents of Manville to find their own way to make positive impact within our community. In addition to being a place to find the next good read, many community groups and organizations use the library as a place to hold meetings and events. The library system itself hosts a wide variety of programming throughout the year that bolsters the town and creates a fun, and educational atmosphere. The library mural is full of books and different items that represent many of the local groups as well as some of the library’s most popular programs over the past five years. Each time a viewer looks at the artwork the artists hope they will see a new item they never noticed before inspiring them to discover what it represents.”

Murals take an incredible amount of planning before they ever make it to a wall. MAC secretary, Amy Ohlson was quoted as saying “The road to this mural has been years in the making. Before the first drop of paint could happen money needed to be raised. We spent over a year fundraising before we were able to take this concept from page to canvas.”

Numerous local residents supported this project by taking part in fundraisers but it was not until the Manville Arts Council received a donation from Mayor Richard Onderko that they were able to reach their goal and get the Library Mural completed.

If you are interested in joining the MAC as they work towards their next mural project and other arts programming, you can visit their website, www.manvillearts.org. Or you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook @ManvilleArts or the Facebook Group @MuralsOnMain.
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The Manville Arts Council, Inc. is an independent non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. We are a group of Manville residents who have come together to promote and support the arts within our town. Our goal is simple; Build our town and community up by fostering an interest in, and an appreciation for, the arts.